Gifts for Writers: Beyond the Journal

Like many writers I have a drawer full of beautiful journals — some too beautiful to abuse with my plain Anglo-Saxon words. If you have a writer on your gift-giving list here are a few gift ideas other than journals and pens.

1. Books. (Duh!) Writers are coveters of books. If you’re not sure which book to get, let me suggest a couple of titles. Tony Hoagland’s The Art of the Voice, Jane Yolen’s Take Joy, Stephen King’s On Writing, or Mark Forsyth’s The Elements of Eloquence.

2. Subscriptions. If your writer already has these books, try a subscription to any of several handy magazines such as Writer’s Digest, Publishers Weekly, or Poets & Writers.

3. Wine and a wine-opener. Writers drink a lot of wine while reading. And at some point, a wine-opener will be handy. I love mine!

4. Take a peek at our own FWA Etsy store for some cool writerly clothing finds! And remember, while reading and drinking writers need to keep their feet warm, especially if there are no dogs or cats in the house. Zazzle.com is another place to find some interesting bits of writer couture.

5. A footrest is always helpful while reading or writing. I love mine! It comes in two easy pieces that simply slip on top of each other —— in case your writer has imbibed a bit too much wine. (No Ikea instructions with this one!) Adjustable footrest.

6. Bookcase. At some point——though it may be hard to determine when——your writer will rise and go to find another book. So why not supply him or her with a bookcase that can be easily placed anywhere in the house. For example: next to the wine. Here’s a bookcase I love. (I often give a similar one as a gift to new parents with a boxful of books for the baby.) And try The Literary Gift Company for some whimsical literary bookends to go with it.

7. Tools for Writers. Sooner or later, your writer will want to jot down a few things (actually write) at his/her computer. So why not supply your writer with a helpful online subscription? There are tons of those and over time the yearly costs can build up. Help a writer out. Services/subscriptions I can personally recommend include Duotrope, Scrivener, and Prezi presentation software. Other good ones include: ProWritingAid and Final Draft for screenwriters.

8. Membership. While we’re talking about yearly fees, why not support your writer for a year/or two of membership in a helpful organization such as the Florida Writers Association (FWA)? And if your writer is a teen, there is also a teen membership to FWA for only $15! Other great organizations include SCBWI, Poetry Society of America, Romance Writers of America, or Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. Writers like to network and drink wine together. So you could pay for your writer to attend a conference held by a writing organization. For example, FWA hosts a number of webinars that are very reasonably priced at $10 to $20 each. And every year FWA goes all out for its fall conference. Funding your writer to attend such a conference can be a career-changer.

9. Experience. And what about considering the gift of an experience your writer has not been able to afford on his or her own? Like swimming with dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center? Or an Atlas Obscura trip or online class such as this one Living Between Cultures: Storytelling.

10. Carry-All. Thinking about networking and traveling, writers need to carry all those books, display items and wine with them when they attend book festivals or conferences. I found my favorite carry-all at a place you might not think about looking: Home Depot. Mine is built for handymen and women and has extra heavy-duty wheels, a longer handle shaft to accommodate tall carpenters, and plenty of pockets. Here’s a heavy-duty one from Walmart with a handle that stretches to 41 inches.

11. Display items. At those conferences, book sales, and festivals writers need display items. Why not give a box full of display items? Here are a few favorites a double-sided pocketed display unit, acrylic sign holders, and 8” iron book holders.

12. Personalized items. While at a conference/book sale/festival writers like to publicize their books. And look spiffy doing it. In addition to any socks or ties you might have bought (from suggestion #4), Etsy has a number of artisans who will make personalized book jewelry—such as the cover of one of your writer’s books! Just search on “personalized book jewelry” at the Etsy site. Or what about a face mask with your writer’s book(s) on the front? You can get that done here at Printerpix.

13. A massage. Once your writer has come home from his/her traveling a nice massage can be just the thing. So why not provide a coupon for a massage? (Of course, after all this COVID-19 thing is past us!)

14. Time. Finally, to round off this baker’s dozen plus one: TIME. (You knew this was coming!) Many writers have told me that the best gift of all is uninterrupted time to write (or recover from all the wine drinking and traveling). Some writers I know have been given a gift weekend at a hotel, or spa, or a cabin in the woods (away from the closest winery). If you’re tight on cash, the promise of helping your writer get two hours of time every day is priceless! And you could throw in a pair of noise-reducing headphones so your writer can write amid the stay-at-home chaos. For example, this pair.

I hope this has given you some ideas beyond the gift of a journal. And hey, if you see a journal you just have to buy, give it anyway! You can always slip in the massage coupon, or the receipt for a conference/subscription, or a gift card to Total Wine. (I like a nice Shiraz, if anyone is looking my way.) And should you be the gift giver to a writer who is a teetotaler, any gift should be accompanied by a kitten. (Just saying.)